Tag Archives: product life cycle

I’ve been thinking and blogging about the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ (i4.0) recently. In our book, we discuss how operations and processes evolved through three eras – craft, mass production, and strategic (pages 60-65). So in our second edition, i4.0 will … Continue reading →

I learned a new word today – “athleisure”. This is the sector of the retail clothing market that designs and sells athletic clothing for non-athletic consumers. It is a sector that Lululemon was in the vanguard of in the USA, so … Continue reading →

Can’t let today go by without commenting on Apple’s latest figures. The company posted the largest ever quarterly profits in history – £11.8 billion profit in the three months up to 27 December 2014. This was largely due to record … Continue reading →

Konecranes is a global company headquartered in Finland. The company provides a wide range of lifting solutions and equipment for a number of sectors, with general manufacturing, ports, pulp and paper, steel and automotive being its main markets. Konecranes’ doesn’t stop at the … Continue reading →

There are a number of reasons why manufacturers have adopted servitisation over the last two decades. The introduction of just-in time principles required component suppliers to become much more involved with their customers’ operations. In some cases this has meant they … Continue reading →

TGI Fridays has developed a range of branded food products for sale through retail outlets. It is now planning to expand this range of products and extend the range of distribution channels internationally, as explained in their press release. This … Continue reading →

If you cannot get your favourite goats cheese topped pizza in Pizza Express, it’s because there is a great shortage of the product in the UK. As long ago as September 2013, the British Cheese Board was forecasting this. Apparently … Continue reading →

We like blogging about the toy industry – it’s fun. Great article on the BBC Business website about toys for this Christmas. What it highlights is the idea that ‘old’ products can be reinvented to become ‘new’ products by adding … Continue reading →

Great video about the East London company – Sugru. If you’ve not heard of this product, as their website explains, it is an “air-curing rubber that can be formed by hand. It bonds to most materials and turns into a strong, flexible … Continue reading →

There’s a great article in Travel Weekly that reports on the megatrends that will shape the future of travel operations. Based on work for the World Economic Forum, the four main trends are: changing customer needs – increase in aging … Continue reading →